North Texas-Based IRS Officer Sentenced To Prison For 'Obstructing Federal Tax Laws'

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A former IRS officer based in Mansfield, Texas was sentenced Friday, July 23 to three years in prison for obstructing federal tax laws.

Former Revenue Officer Sonya Vivar, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2020 to one count of corrupt endeavor to obstruct or impede the due administration of internal revenue laws.

On her LinkedIn page, Vivar says she has "34 years of service as a Federal Revenue Officer with the Internal Revenue Service."

According to plea papers, Vivar admitted she attempted to conceal her personal relationship with C.J.B., the subject of an IRS investigation, from the IRS and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

At the time, C.J.B. was operating a business that was delinquent on its employment taxes.

C.J.B. had purchased the company only after Vivar was assigned to oversee collection efforts against it.

Vivar was aware that C.B.J. had acquired the company and sold its assets at a profit or transferred the assets into newly formed business entities.

At the sentencing hearing, the judge found that due to her crimes, the IRS lost the opportunity to collect more than $4 million in taxes.